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Lynchburg council agrees to seek ordinance change after dispute over ‘perpetual’ real‑estate tax language
Summary
After a contentious public exchange about ordinance language that some council members called a “magic” tax increase, the council directed the city attorney to prepare a new ordinance to remove perpetual tax‑increase language and return with it at the August 26 meeting for formal consideration.
Lynchburg City Council members spent more than two hours on procedural arguments and policy claims over language in an ordinance that some members said would allow an automatic, recurring real‑estate tax increase.
The debate centered on language in Ordinance 025‑055 that, as written, said the real‑estate tax rate would continue “each and every fiscal year thereafter beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of each such year unless otherwise changed by council.” Council members including Chris Feraldi called that a “magic tax increase” and urged the council to remove it so the council must vote a rate each year.
The dispute touched on state law. Council Member Tammer (identified in the meeting as Council Member Timmer) read aloud Code of Virginia section 58.1‑3321, which describes how a locality…
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